Samford University debaters Davi Johnson and Chris Buzachero will compete in the National Debate Tournament by virtue of having won outright the District VI regional tournament last weekend, Feb. 26-27. The team will be the southern region's top seeded team at the tournament, to be hosted by the University of Missouri at Kansas City March 23-27.
Johnson and Buzachero, both seniors, beat top-ranked teams from the University of Kentucky, University of Louisville, Emory University and Middle Tennessee State University to compile a five-win, one-loss record at the tournament. Their only loss was to State University of West Georgia.
Johnson was ranked the second best individual debater at the regional tournament, held at Florida State University. The southern region is composted of all debate teams from nine southeastern states.
This is the fourth consecutive year that Samford has qualified a team for the national tournament, which it won in 1983.